Percy Jackson, the Son of Olympus: The Lightning Thief

| Chapter XXIV || Discovering the Thief |

*April 25 XXXX*

*Percy's Point of View*

***

Later that day, I decided to take Annabeth up on her offer of sparring. I hadn't practiced with my sword in a while and was very excited to test myself against another demigod. I'd only ever sparred with the gods, and though they were going easy on me, I usually lost. I mean, they were gods. It was an unfair advantage. The only I ever beat in hand-to-hand combat was Artemis, and that was only because she specializes in the bow and arrow, not swordsmanship. I also beat Ares once, but that was only because I'd just had a strategy lesson with Athena, and the plans were still running through my mind.

I marched out into the area where I'd seen the other campers sparring earlier. My armor was all strapped into place, and I held my sword, Anaklusmos, in my hand. I kept spinning it in my hand as my ADHD started acting up. Suddenly, I turned, bringing my sword up to block a sneak attack.

"Hey! No sneak attacks!" I yelled at my assailant.

I merely heard a high-pitched laugh in return. "I need to keep you on your toes!"

It was Annabeth. She was using her dagger as her weapon, her blade locked with mine. She was wearing armor too, and the design was similar to mine, except hers had a leather sash striking diagonally across her chest.

I smirked. "Oh really?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Yeah."

"Well, in that case..." I suddenly twisted my wrist, breaking the lock on our weapons, and struck forwards like a serpent.

She blocked my sword and countered, using the short length of her weapon to stay in close, trying to get under my guard. We exchanged a multitude of blows, each failing to land an attack on the other until I saw an opening. Adjusting my stance, I feinted to her right, and as she went to block, I jumped back and to her left, my sword cutting into the leather joints of her armor, cutting every single one of the straps on her left side.

Her armor sagged, as it didn't have the support it needed. It swung around to pool at her right side, the imbalance causing Annabeth to stumble. I reached forward with my sword, laying it against her throat.

"I got you," I murmured to her. A bright smile adorned my face.

She gave a halfhearted smile. "I guess you did."

"The male is triumphant!" I cried out jokingly.

She didn't take it as a joke, though, as her face contorted in anger, and she said, "Run."

I got the message, and immediately dashed away, Annabeth hot in pursuit with her dagger brandished dangerously. She chased me for hours, but I was finally able to shake her once I got to the forest. I crouched in a bush, hearing her footsteps right by my head. She soon passed, and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Percy? What are you doing?"

I jumped at the sudden voice. Turning around, I saw Luke walking towards me. On his face he held both confusion and amusement. In one hand, he was holding a six pack of coca cola.

"I was sparring with Annabeth and beat her. Then she got mad at me," I answered.

Luke just stared at me for a moment, before bursting out laughing. The movement caused his scar to stretch across his face menacingly.

I liked his scar－really, it was cool－but sometimes, it just scared me. It made Luke look mean and vicious. It made him seem like the total opposite of who he was.

He was still laughing, so I just chuckled awkwardly. Once he stopped, he walked closer to me, smiling. "You want a coke?" he offered, popping a can out of its plastic ring.

"Yeah, sure," I said, taking the can as he held it out to me. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it," he said, taking one out for himself. There was a small tss as he opened the can, taking a slurp. I did the same, savoring the taste of the dark fizzing liquid as it slid down my throat.

"Nothing beats coke right out of the can, am I right?" he asked, sitting himself down on a large rock that sat nearby.

"Yeah," I agreed, sitting on the rock next to his. "So," I started, trying to trigger a conversation, "What brings you out here?"

Luke was silent for a moment, just drinking his coke. "You, actually."

I was surprised. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"Why'd you come all the way out here? I saw you in the arena earlier."

Luke turned to me, and suddenly, his face looked meaner. The shadows creased in his scar and his eyebrows lowered. "There were other people in the arena. I need to talk to you privately," he said.

Nearby, a hole opened in the ground. Out jumped a scorpion. Its shell gleamed in the dull light, and it snapped its pincers twice, its beady black eyes focusing on me.

"Uh... Luke?" I asked, my voice filled with panic as the scorpion jumped at me, landing on the tip of my shoe.

"Yeah, Perce?" he asked nonchalantly. It was as if he hadn't even noticed the scorpion.

"There's a scorpion on my foot," Percy said.

Luke looked over as if first spotting the scorpion, and smiled. Despite the situation, his smile was kind. It was the same smile he'd given me when we'd first met. "I know. It's a pit scorpion. My master summoned it to get rid of you once and for all. Its venom is deadly. First, you'll turn green. Then, you'll turn gray. Within a minute, you'll be dead, and no one will hear you scream," he said. He then stood, and began walking away, towards the border that separated the camp and the outside world.

"Luke! Why?" I cried. The scorpion had begun crawling up my pant leg, it's pincers grasping the fabric to keep it balanced.

"I want all demigods to be equal. It may be hard for you to believe, but some of us demigods don't even know who our parent is! As for others, we know, but we'd prefer not to. The gods don't love us. They only use us! We're all pawns," he said. Then, he turned, and didn't look back.

I was still panicking, as the scorpion was getting closer and closer to my face. Making a split second decision, I stood quickly, throwing the scorpion off of my armored chest. It pounced then, and I smacked it away with my left hand. As it prepared to pounce again, I readied my sword and sliced it clean in half as it flew through the air for the third time.

My celebration was short-lived because I just then noticed that my left hand was rapidly swelling, oozing yellow puss. 'Oh no.' I had to get back to camp.

I ran, cradling my hand. Just as Luke said, it was slowly turning green. Soon, it would be gray, and then, I would die. I pushed my feet to go faster, and the Camp was in my sights.

"Help!" I called, hoping that someone would hear me. My hand was turning gray, the dull shade making its way up my entire arm. By the time I made to the edge of the trees, my hand was roughly the size of a baseball glove.

"Help!" I called again as my vision began to blur. I was dying－I knew that. I should have known about Luke! I hit the ground, my eyes closing.

As I lay there, my hearing going muffled, I thought of all of the things I would never do again. I would never be with my family... I would never play another prank... I would never spar with Annabeth... I would never see Artemis and tell her how deeply I loved her...

Just as all of my senses failed me, I felt one last sensation. I was being lifted up－my body or my soul, I did not know. Then, everything was dark and nothing existed.

***

Published: Sunday, December 25, 2016

~CSP2708~